The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it has so far registered 800,000 people since September 15th when it kick-started the country's Biometric Voter Registration exercise, which ends in January next year.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau confirmed this figure, noting that she will release more information to VOA Studio 7 on Friday.

Justice Makarau would not be drawn to comment on meeting its set target of 7 million people in the new voters’ roll by January next year.

Matabeleland North with 25,795 so far in the voters’ roll has the least number of people, who have registered under the BVR program, which was mooted following public complaints that the southern African nation’s voters’ roll was full of ghost voters.

Mashonaland East tops the national list with almost 112,000 people registered so far in the new voters’ roll that was initially crippled by lack of equipment as ZEC was using 300 BVR kits instead of about 4,000.

Indications are that many people are reluctant to register to vote in next year’s crucial elections, which is expected to feature long-time political rivals, Zanu PF’s Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, founding president of the Movement for Democratic Change.

Several opposition leaders are also set to contest the election though various alliances have been formed in an attempt to unseat President Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party.